International Women's Day
08/03/23 02:12
We took our two granddaughters to a story hour at the school last night. Children were invited to gather in the school library. They could wear their pajamas and bring a blanket and stuffed animal if they chose. Three teachers had a program of stories for the children followed by a snack and a bit of free play in the school gym. The program was intended to provide childcare for parents attending the PTA meeting held in another room of the school, but as grandparents, we aren not members of the PTA. The busy lives of our son and daughter-in-law with a farm and two other children to care for meant that it was a good time for us to step in and enjoy the evening with our granddaughters.
Susan volunteers in the girls’ classrooms so she knows some of the teachers. She introduced me to a kindergarten teacher. In our conversation, the teacher remarked that our family has some very wonderful and capable women. She knows our two granddaughters, our daughter-in-law and Susan. I quickly agreed with her. They are each unique and wonderful people with many gifts and talents. I love them dearly and look to them for all kinds of leadership and support.
The teacher went on to impress me. Along with two other equally capable teachers, she calmed the room full of children, got them to sit quietly and entertained them by reading some of her favorite children’s books. It is a skill that not many people have. I share a time with children in church most weeks, but my responsibility is for a much smaller group of children and usually their parents or grandparents are present in the room. These teachers each proved that they could care for a large room full of children by themselves. Of course, I was prepared to be impressed by the teachers. I had first hand reports of their skills from my wife and granddaughters, who have all reported on the skills of these dedicated professional educators. All of the teachers I met last night are women.
I am part of a family of remarkable women. I have just witnessed the dedicated professionalism of three additional women. I have some very capable women who are colleagues, including the lead pastor of our church, our amazing minister of music, our office administrator who is on top of so many aspects of church life, and our church accountant, whose quiet precision serves the entire church. In addition, I have the privilege of working with incredibly capable and talented volunteer church leaders who are spearheading mission, leading our green team, serving on committees and providing the energy to keep our congregation moving forward.
It is clear that I have much to celebrate today on International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day was first officially celebrated in 1911 and the centennial International Women’s Day was recognized in 2011. The seeds of the celebration, go back even further. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and the right to vote. That event was marked by women in the United States each year. In 1910 an International Conference of Working Women met in Copenhagen. 100 women from 17 countries agreed to begin the celebration. The celebration had no fixed date until 1917, when Russian women demanded “bread and peace” with a strike that forced the Tsar to abdicate and the right to vote was granted to women. The date on the Julian calendar, then in use in Russia, was February 23. That was March 8 on the Gregorian calendar. March 8 became the official day of celebration.
The color purple is often associated with International Women’s Day. It signifies justice and dignity. It is one of three colors of International Women’s Day, according to the IWD website. The other colors are Green which symbolizes hope and White which represents purity. Those colors come from an early twentieth century women’s political union in the United Kingdom.
I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to find anything purple in my closet to wear, so I guess I’ll probably go for green today. I intend to greet as many of the women in our home and church as possible with best wishes and thoughts for International Women’s Day.
I have been privileged to work in many settings where the contributions and leadership of women have been recognized. I have the honor to be currently working with a woman who is my boss in an organization that is very careful about pay equity and the recognition of the leadership of women. However, across our society, women still are not afforded equal treatment with men. Women’s pay lags behind that of men in the United States. According to a 2022 poll by the Pew Research Center women earn an average of 82% of what women earn in part time and full time jobs. The gender pay gap has remained constant for at least 20 years in our country. The gap is even wider in certain professions, including professional athletics, computer and technology positions, and corporate management.
This year the United Nations’s theme for International Women’s Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The theme aims to recognize and celebrate the contribution of women and girls are making to technology and online education. Programs will also explore the impact of the digital gender gap. The United Nations estimates that women’s lack of access to the online world will cause a $1.5 trillion loss to gross domestic product of low and middle-income countries by 2025 if dramatic action isn’t taken.
The International Women’s Day website has chosen the theme #EmbraceEquality. Events are planned to “challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.”
All around the world, women continue to fight for their rights amid war, violence, and policy challenges. In Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban has hindered advancements in human rights. Women and girls are banned from higher education and from working in most jobs outside the home. In Iran demonstrations against laws requiring women to cover their hair and have their rights denied. More than 500 people have died in demonstrations. Women around the world continue to struggle to make their voices heard, to obtain basic human rights, and to their rightful place in board rooms and political offices.
It is a day worthy of celebration - and a day to make new commitments to uphold the right of all women to fully participate and benefit from the institutions of our society and our world.
Susan volunteers in the girls’ classrooms so she knows some of the teachers. She introduced me to a kindergarten teacher. In our conversation, the teacher remarked that our family has some very wonderful and capable women. She knows our two granddaughters, our daughter-in-law and Susan. I quickly agreed with her. They are each unique and wonderful people with many gifts and talents. I love them dearly and look to them for all kinds of leadership and support.
The teacher went on to impress me. Along with two other equally capable teachers, she calmed the room full of children, got them to sit quietly and entertained them by reading some of her favorite children’s books. It is a skill that not many people have. I share a time with children in church most weeks, but my responsibility is for a much smaller group of children and usually their parents or grandparents are present in the room. These teachers each proved that they could care for a large room full of children by themselves. Of course, I was prepared to be impressed by the teachers. I had first hand reports of their skills from my wife and granddaughters, who have all reported on the skills of these dedicated professional educators. All of the teachers I met last night are women.
I am part of a family of remarkable women. I have just witnessed the dedicated professionalism of three additional women. I have some very capable women who are colleagues, including the lead pastor of our church, our amazing minister of music, our office administrator who is on top of so many aspects of church life, and our church accountant, whose quiet precision serves the entire church. In addition, I have the privilege of working with incredibly capable and talented volunteer church leaders who are spearheading mission, leading our green team, serving on committees and providing the energy to keep our congregation moving forward.
It is clear that I have much to celebrate today on International Women’s Day. International Women’s Day was first officially celebrated in 1911 and the centennial International Women’s Day was recognized in 2011. The seeds of the celebration, go back even further. In 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, and the right to vote. That event was marked by women in the United States each year. In 1910 an International Conference of Working Women met in Copenhagen. 100 women from 17 countries agreed to begin the celebration. The celebration had no fixed date until 1917, when Russian women demanded “bread and peace” with a strike that forced the Tsar to abdicate and the right to vote was granted to women. The date on the Julian calendar, then in use in Russia, was February 23. That was March 8 on the Gregorian calendar. March 8 became the official day of celebration.
The color purple is often associated with International Women’s Day. It signifies justice and dignity. It is one of three colors of International Women’s Day, according to the IWD website. The other colors are Green which symbolizes hope and White which represents purity. Those colors come from an early twentieth century women’s political union in the United Kingdom.
I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to find anything purple in my closet to wear, so I guess I’ll probably go for green today. I intend to greet as many of the women in our home and church as possible with best wishes and thoughts for International Women’s Day.
I have been privileged to work in many settings where the contributions and leadership of women have been recognized. I have the honor to be currently working with a woman who is my boss in an organization that is very careful about pay equity and the recognition of the leadership of women. However, across our society, women still are not afforded equal treatment with men. Women’s pay lags behind that of men in the United States. According to a 2022 poll by the Pew Research Center women earn an average of 82% of what women earn in part time and full time jobs. The gender pay gap has remained constant for at least 20 years in our country. The gap is even wider in certain professions, including professional athletics, computer and technology positions, and corporate management.
This year the United Nations’s theme for International Women’s Day is “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.” The theme aims to recognize and celebrate the contribution of women and girls are making to technology and online education. Programs will also explore the impact of the digital gender gap. The United Nations estimates that women’s lack of access to the online world will cause a $1.5 trillion loss to gross domestic product of low and middle-income countries by 2025 if dramatic action isn’t taken.
The International Women’s Day website has chosen the theme #EmbraceEquality. Events are planned to “challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion.”
All around the world, women continue to fight for their rights amid war, violence, and policy challenges. In Afghanistan, the resurgence of the Taliban has hindered advancements in human rights. Women and girls are banned from higher education and from working in most jobs outside the home. In Iran demonstrations against laws requiring women to cover their hair and have their rights denied. More than 500 people have died in demonstrations. Women around the world continue to struggle to make their voices heard, to obtain basic human rights, and to their rightful place in board rooms and political offices.
It is a day worthy of celebration - and a day to make new commitments to uphold the right of all women to fully participate and benefit from the institutions of our society and our world.
